Are you trying to figure out someone’s availability to book them for a meeting or interview?
Perhaps you’re worried that “are you available” might not be formal or polite enough to include in an email.
Don’t worry! We’re here to help.
This article will teach you how to say “are you available” in an email.
Is It Professional to Say “Are You Available”?
It is professional to say “are you available.” It’s a great phrase to include in formal contexts because it shows you’re interested in learning someone’s availability.
Usually, this is quite a respectful phrase. After all, it suggests that you respect someone enough to look into their schedule before booking them for anything important.
You can refer to this email sample to learn how to use “are you available” in a sentence:
Dear Mr. Pocock,
Are you available for a meeting on Friday at 3 pm?
I’d like to meet with you to discuss my plans for the business moving forward.
Kind regards,
Morris Jacques
Pros
- It’s a professional way to ask if someone is free.
- It’s respectful and suggests you’re looking into someone’s schedule before booking them.
Cons
- It’s a bit generic.
- It can be seen as informal in some cases.
There’s nothing wrong with using “are you available” in formal emails. But it’s also smart to have a few alternatives ready to go! That’s where the rest of this article comes into play.
Keep reading to learn how to say “are you available” politely. We’ve gathered a list of some of the best alternatives to help you with it.
What to Say Instead of “Are You Available”
- Can you allocate time
- Are you free
- Can you make time
- Are you open
- Can we schedule
- Do you have a spare moment
- Can you fit me in
- Can you spare a moment
- Are you able to meet
1. Can You Allocate Time
We recommend starting with “can you allocate time.” This question keeps things simple yet polite.
It shows you’re asking someone what their schedule looks like over the coming days.
We recommend using it because it’s respectful and open-ended. It shows you’re willing to hear back from the recipient to decide when will be a good time to book a meeting with them.
Generally, you can use this because it shows you’re happy to let the other party decide. Try it when emailing your boss to find out when they’re free.
Here’s a great email sample to help you understand more about it:
Dear Ms. Jones,
Can you allocate time for a call later this week?
I’d be very thankful to get the chance to speak with you about what comes next.
My best,
Daniella Carlisle
2. Are You Free
It’s always good to go back to basics. If you’re ever worried about overcomplicating your writing, just use “are you free.”
It’s formal and to the point. It shows you’d like to meet with someone or have a phone call with them, but you need to check their schedule first.
Generally, this is an excellent way to sound friendly when asking someone for their schedule.
Try using it when contacting an employee. That way, you can keep a more positive relationship with them when you need to meet.
You can also review this email example to learn a bit more about it:
Dear Marie,
Are you free for a meeting with me today?
I’d like to go through your latest performance review and give you some pointers.
Best wishes,
Suzie Banter
3. Can You Make Time
You can use “can you make time” as a professional way to say “are you available.” This is a great formal synonym that shows you’re interested in meeting someone soon.
Try using it when asking a client to a meeting. It shows you’ve got an idea in mind for a time, but you need to confirm that it works for their schedule.
Generally, this keeps things respectful and honest. Therefore, it’s a great opportunity to build a good working relationship with a client when you plan to keep them around.
You can also check out this sample email to learn more about it:
Dear Mr. Boxhill,
Can you make time for a meeting on Tuesday at 2 pm?
I’ve got some ideas to run by you if you’re willing to meet to discuss it more.
Kind regards,
James Jackson
4. Are You Open
Another way to say “are you available” is “are you open.” This works well because “open” refers to the freedom someone has in their schedule to complete a task.
We recommend using this as it’s formal and polite. It suggests that you’re happy for the recipient to dictate when to meet.
Try using it when contacting your employer. It’s a good opportunity to let them know you’d like to meet, but you don’t want to book a time slot that doesn’t work for them.
So, here’s a great email sample to help you:
Dear Ms. Clarkson,
Are you open to discussing more about this today?
If so, I’d like to meet with you soon to show you what we’re working on.
All the best,
Milo Harris
5. Can We Schedule
Perhaps you’d like to schedule an interview with an applicant. Well, there are plenty of ways to go about this, but “can we schedule” seems to work the best.
It’s a direct and formal question. So, you can use it at the start of your email to entice an applicant to agree with your meeting time.
Generally, you are in control of when to meet with this phrase. It shows you’ve decided on a time, and you’re just checking with the recipient to confirm in a polite way.
You can also review this example to learn a bit more about it:
Dear Jodie,
Can we schedule your interview for 10.30 am on Tuesday?
I’m very keen to meet with you to discuss more about what comes next.
All the best,
Martin Dots
6. Do You Have a Spare Moment
It’s also good to include “do you have a spare moment” when keeping things polite and respectful.
This works well because it suggests you don’t want to interfere with someone’s schedule. Instead, it politely asks them whether they have a small amount of time to speak with you.
You can use it when reaching out to your boss. It shows that you respect their busy schedule, but you still want to find out if they’re free.
So, you can check out this sample email to learn a little more about it:
Dear Miss Murray,
Do you have a spare moment to discuss this promotion with me?
I’d like to go over it to see if there’s anything more I should know.
My best,
Suzanne Redgrave
7. Can You Fit Me In
Try using “can you fit me in” instead of “are you available.” This works really well as a formal and polite alternative in your writing.
You can use this when writing to a coworker. After all, it suggests that you value their time and schedule, but you’d still like to see whether you’re able to get a meeting with them.
Of course, when emailing a coworker, it makes more sense to keep the meeting casual.
So, you can use this when asking them to a coffee or lunch meeting.
Also, you can review this example to learn more:
Dear Harry,
Can you fit me in for a coffee meeting this morning?
I’d like to talk to you about the upcoming project if that’s okay.
My best,
Suzanna Black
8. Can You Spare a Moment
Also, it’s smart to write “can you spare a moment” instead of “are you available.”
Again, this works well when only asking for a short period of time. It suggests you respect someone’s busy schedule and don’t want to make them uncomfortable.
Try using it when writing to a client. It shows you understand how busy they might be, but you’d still like to hear back from them.
Here’s a great email sample to help you understand a little more about it:
Dear Miss Jones,
Can you spare a moment to discuss the next steps of this project?
I’m so keen to learn more from you when you have a chance.
Best wishes,
Melissa Fallon
9. Are You Able to Meet
Finally, we recommend writing “are you able to meet” to see whether someone is free to catch up with you.
You can use this when discussing something with a colleague. It’s an opportunity to ask them for a meeting if you have some ideas that might improve your team project.
For the most part, this is respectful and formal. That’s why it works so well when you’re trying to figure out if someone has time for you in their schedule.
Feel free to review this email sample if you still need help:
Dear Alex,
Are you able to meet to discuss this project in further detail?
I’d like to run a few ideas by you if that’s possible.
All the best,
Sara Lorde